We will guarantee a price match on any like for like quote.

We’ll also review your design / quote and provide our feedback on what we would do differently – (if anything) – we’ll always praise a good design when we see one!) including where you could save money without potentially losing any performance or reliability.

The rules are simple – there’s no VAT on either the materials OR the installation of materials if supplied and installed together.

If you have materials supplied only, then you’ll need to pay 20% VAT.

In other words:

“The Zero rating for energy saving materials involves the supply/installation of energy saving goods. If solar panels are only supplied then the liability will be 20% but if they are supplied and installed then the liability would be zero rated for both the goods and the installation of the goods.”

Energy-saving materials and heating equipment (VAT Notice 708/6) Part 2.1

Zero-rated installations

From 1 April 2022 until 31 March 2027, the zero rate applies to the installation of certain specified energy-saving materials (read paragraph 2.12) in, or in the curtilage of, residential accommodation (read paragraph 2.23) in Great Britain.

From 1 May 2023 until 31 March 2027, the zero rate applies to the installation of certain specified energy-saving materials (read paragraph 2.12) in, or in the curtilage of, residential accommodation (read paragraph 2.23) in Northern Ireland.

2.11 Energy-saving materials covered by the reduced rate
Subject to one of the social policy conditions being satisfied or the 60% threshold not being exceeded, the following energy-saving materials when installed in residential accommodation in Great Britain between 1 October 2019 and 31 March 2022, and Northern Ireland between 1 October 2019 and 30 April 2023 were reduced-rated:

• controls for central heating and hot water systems (read paragraph 2.13)
• draught stripping (read paragraph 2.14)
• insulation (read paragraph 2.15)
• solar panels (read paragraph 2.16)
• ground source heat pumps (read paragraph 2.19)
• air source heat pumps (read paragraph 2.20)
• micro combined heat and power units (read paragraph 2.21)
• wood-fuelled boilers (read paragraph 2.22)

2.12 Energy-saving materials covered by the zero rate
The zero rate applies to the installation of the following energy-saving materials in residential accommodation in Great Britain between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2027, and in Northern Ireland from 1 May 2023 and 31 March 2027:

• all energy-saving materials as listed in 2.11
• wind turbines (read paragraph 2.17)
• water turbines (read paragraph 2.18)

These energy-saving materials were included in the reduced rate prior to 1 October 2019 and will continue to be included in the reduced rate from 1 April 2027 onwards.

2.16 Solar panels
Solar panels include all systems that are installed in, or on the site of, a building and that are:

• solar collectors such as evacuated tube or flat plate systems, together with associated pipework and equipment, such as circulation systems, pump, storage cylinder, control panel and heat exchanger
• photovoltaic (PV) panels with cabling, control panel and AC/DC inverter

If you need more information on what is or isn’t included then please let us know.

All households are different, and estimates on savings will vary according to the type of property, the solar panel specification and of course how much energy you use.

As part of our survey we can advise you on the best system for your needs and how much money you could potentially save.

We’ll take into account:

• The potential size of the solar array (the number of individual modules you can fit on your property in line with legislation and MCS guidelines)
• The orientation and angle of the array (a south facing roof is more effective than an east or west facing roof, with the ideal angle of 30 – 40 degrees from horizontal, as well as considering any shading risks)
• The ideal size of battery to serve the array (and remember bigger isn’t always best! – there is an ideal of 1 – 1.5x the solar array output before the costs begin to out-weigh the benefits)
• When you typically occupy the property (if the home or building is occupied during the day, more of the energy generated during daylight hours can be used)
• How much electricity you currently use (this lets us calculate how much of your current electrical consumption can be switched to solar)

There are more factors to consider, and we’ll let you know all the details as part of our design

Many people aren’t aware that the energy generated by solar panels needs to be used as it is generated, otherwise it will flow back into the national grid – unless you have a battery storage system to charge.

There are a host of options when it comes to battery storage, and batteries can be used for a surprising number of different needs.

For example:

• Battery used to store energy during the day, charged by a solar array, for use in the evening / when solar generation is low – this is a simple application of battery storage, with the battery being charged by your solar array when it’s sunny for you to use when the sun isn’t generating much energy for you.
• Battery used to arbitrage energy prices from your electrical supplier – slightly more complicated, but with an intelligent or ‘smart’ system, your battery knows when the weather may be poor and solar generation will be low, and so charges on low cost, off-peak tariffs offered by energy suppliers. This stored ‘cheap’ electricity is then used by your home without paying peak rates during the day.
• Battery used to sell excess electricity back to the grid – on sunny days, your battery may well be fully charged by mid morning. Once this happens, the system can divert battery charging to feed back into the grid to sell to your electrical supplier.
• Battery used to offer grid independence – this is only available on systems offering ‘islanding’, but is becoming increasingly popular, whereby in the event of a power cut (or by manual override) the connection to the national grid can be severed and the battery acts as an independent generator, offering true off-grid performance. This system feature is known as Island Mode and is a step towards being able to claim full grid independence for households.
• Battery only – it is possible to install a battery system without a Solar PV array. This is a good budgeting option for those who cannot afford a full system but want to save money on their bills or those who live in flats or apartments with no option to install Solar PV panels on a roof or on land. In the situation where a battery only system is installed, the battery is charged by electricity in off peak times for use during peak times thereby saving money without sacrificing electricity usage.

Under the smart export guarantee (SEG) tariff, any excess energy you create and do not use can be sold back to the grid. Be warned though, all but a few providers offer poor tariff rates (typically around £0.05 per KWh).

You will need to have MCS approval to benefit from the SEG tariff, and we can help you to ensure you meet the relevant criteria.

Electric vehicle owners can use the energy generated by their solar panels to charge their electric car, this can be even more beneficial with the addition of a battery where energy captured during the day can be transferred to your car overnight.

The general rule is that it is much more financially beneficial to use the energy you generate than sell it back to the grid, so charging an EV is an ideal means of ensuring that as little of your harvested energy goes to waste as possible.

Remember – the energy you generate from your Solar panels is free – unlike the cost of a charging station or petrol forecourt!

It’s true, by switching your energy usage to solar you massively reduce your carbon footprint.

Solar power can account for over 50% of your annual household electricity consumption – and any of the electricity you feed back into the grid is 100% renewable.

Combined with a heat pump or other electrically powered heating and water system and a suitable battery storage solution, you can become far less grid dependent and therefore more carbon-neutral as a consumer of electricity.

We like to do our bit too – which is why we’re a carbon negative company. Get in touch to learn more.

Well, it’s not quite as simple as that, but once your system is installed, all your energy usage from your own solar panels and battery is effectively free.

So even if energy prices continue to rise, you can be confident the impact of this on your home outgoings will be minimal. You can also take advantage of buying energy during low periods and using it to charge your battery, so you never need to pay the peak premium rates again.

In actual fact one of the biggest reasons to invest in solar is because we know for certain that energy prices will only continue to rise.

And each time they do, the effective amount you save increases, meaning you pay off your solar panel investment faster, the more the energy prices increase.

Find out more by speaking with one of our energy saving experts.

Home buyers are as energy conscious as you are, and homes with a modern solar energy system, EV charging or renewable heating system are not only likely to command a higher price, but are also likely to be easier to sell quickly.

Prospective buyers will also understand and appreciate the reduced energy costs, and your solar energy performance forecast provided by us can be used as part of your seller’s information pack.

Get in touch to find out more.